Swat Motorway – Overview
Route Map
Project’s Key Features
Extension Work
Infrastructure Developments in KPK
Update (April 7, 2022)
CM KPK to Lay Foundation of Swat Motorway Phase II
The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan is expected to break ground for the much-awaited Phase II of the Swat Motorway project next week.
It was decided in a high-level meeting of the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority chaired by CM KPK. It was to review the progress and development work on the different under-construction road projects, the most prominent ones among them were Swat Motorway Phase II and Dir Motorway.
According to the officially released details during the meeting, Swat Motorway Phase II would stretch 88 km. The route would connect Chakdara and Fatehpur in KPK. This extension project of Swat Motorway would cost PKR 58 billion.
As per the official figures, PKR 6.7 billion has already been released for the acquisition of land required for the development of the megaproject. Further details about the upcoming highway would also be released soon once the foundation stone is laid. We’ll update this blog as soon as there are any latest developments, so make sure to keep checking back.
Over the last couple of decades, Pakistan has witnessed many new infrastructure developments. They include expansion of highways, construction of new expressways, and controlled access motorways in the country.
The primary purpose of all these developments is to strengthen trade routes in the region with faster and smoother good transportation. These high-scale projects significantly cut down travel time, thus facilitating intercity travellers and also promoting tourism in the country.
Launched in 2016, Swat Motorway is another noteworthy development in this regard. So, if you’re willing to know more about this multi-billion rupee expressway, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’ll discuss all the key details about Swat Motorway, including it’s planned route in phases and other important features.
So, let’s begin!
More About Swat Motorway, KPK
One of the latest additions in the network of motorways in Pakistan is Swat Motorway. It is a large-scale infrastructure project, which will be a two-way limited-access expressway with multiple lanes. The first phase of the project is constructed by the Frontier Work Organisation (FWO) at a total cost of around PKR 36 million.
The foundation of Swat Motorway was laid back in August 2016 by the then Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervaiz Khattak. As of now, phase-I of the project is nearing its completion.
The Swat expressway was partially opened to the public back in June 2019. According to the latest updates on Swat Motorway, Mr. Mahmood Khan, who is the current Chief Minister of KPK has announced that the phase-I of Swat expressway will be fully functional by the end of August this year.
Now, let’s take a look at the route map of Swat Motorway Phase-I, one of the most important road links in Northern Pakistan.
Route Map of Swat Motorway
Features of Swat Motorway
Above-given is the route map of the expressway. According to it, the project will have six interchanges, two tunnels, five bridges, and six lanes. Phase-I of Swat Motorway is 81 kilometres long, running from Kemal Sher Khan to Chakdara in KPK. The details of the route of Swat Motorway are as under:
- 2 kilometres of the expressway runs through the Nowshera district
- 18 kilometres of its route fall in Swabi and 40 kilometres in the Mardan district of KPK
- The rest of 21 kilometres of the motorway is in Malakand District.
The interchange in Kemal Sher Khan at the southern end of the expressway is already constructed by the National Highway Authority (NHA). This is why it is not considered as a part of the on-going project.
One of the major features of the route of Swat Motorway is that it will provide easy access to remote areas and tourism spots in KPK, which were previously inaccessible.
Route of Swat Motorway, KPK
The journey between the Kemal Sher Khan interchange and Chakdara Chowk previously took hours. However, with the route of this expressway, it will only take 45 minutes, thanks in part, to the prominent location of Swat Motorway.
Like in the case of other motorways in Pakistan, the safety and security of this major road link will also be overseen by the National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP). As per the latest updates on Swat Motorway, the installation of CCTV cameras and various checkpoints is also a part of the project.
On a side note, you may want to take a look at our detailed blog on the National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) if you want to learn more about this federal institution.
The fast and easy route of Swat Motorway will help boost the tourism, economic and industrial activity in the region. All these key features of route and location of Swat Motorway make it one of the most significant expressways in Pakistan.
Development Status of Swat Motorway Phase-II
Swat Motorway, on the whole, has two phases in its masterplan. With the recent completion of the Chakdara Interchange, Swat motorway Phase-I is almost complete. Now, the authorities are looking forward to starting the development of the other phase. The matter of land acquisition for the second phase of Swat Expressway is already under discussion.
It will be a 79-kilometre long stretch of road. The extended road will continue the journey all the way to Fatehpur interchange, which will be its terminus. Once the second phase completes, Swat Expressway will be among the longest expressways in Pakistan, stretching over 160 kilometres.
The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has allocated millions of rupees for the extension of the expressway. Like other motorways in KPK, Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority (PKHA) is responsible to manage and maintain this up-and-coming expressway.
Other Infrastructure Developments in KPK
Alongside the construction of this mega project, which is soon to become one of the major motorways in KPK, the National Highway Authority (NHA) has proposed another road link. It is called the E-90 expressway. According to its route, it’s the Besham–Khwazakhela Expressway. People often confuse it with Swat Expressway, which is a totally different project.
As the name suggests, it will also be a limited-access expressway, connecting the eastern town of Besham in the Shangrila district to a western town of Khwazakhela in Swat. This road link is 66 kilometres long and the National Highway Authority (NHA) will look after and manage it.
This brings us to the end of our detailed overview of Swat Motorway and its expansion project. We hope this blog has given you all the information you were looking for in this regard.
Have any questions or feedback regarding any of our blogs? Feel free to get in touch with us at blog@zameen.com. We’ll be glad to hear from you and try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about other noteworthy infrastructure projects in the country, you may want to take a look at our blogs on tunnels and mountain passes in Pakistan. You can also read our detailed pieces on Khyber Pass, Karakoram Highway, and Khunjerab Pass.
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